COMMUNICATIVE AND PRAGMATIC FEATURES OF TED TALKS SPEECHES ON MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the study of the communicative and pragmatic features of TED Talks speeches on the topic of mental health. TED Talks (https://www.ted.com/talks) is an important and popular platform for accessing up-to-date video presentations on the Internet. The TED platform, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, is recognized as a global initiative for promoting new ideas and communication in the modern world. The key features of the speeches are their emotionality, informativeness and brevity. TED Talks speakers set specific communicative goals, which they achieve through the use of certain communicative strategies. The aim of the article is to identify the most effective communicative strategies in the context of mental health speeches and their potential application in other communication spheres. The material for the study consisted of transcripts of speeches categorized under «Mental health» on the TED Talks online platform. During the research, we observe that speakers actively use various lexical and rhetorical tools, including specific terminology, commonly used vocabulary, and emotionally charged language to establish an emotional connection with the audience and enhance the impact of their speeches. This allows speakers to convey complex ideas in a clear and accessible manner while maintaining the attention and interest of the audience. The study also emphasizes the pragmatic characteristics of the speeches, such as concreteness, brevity, and emotional persuasiveness. TED Talks speakers often use argumentation strategy that involve references to authoritative sources, scientific research, statistical data and personal life examples. This approach allows them not only to justify convincingly their points but also to build a trusting relationship with the audience, increasing the overall impact of their presentations.